Big-eyed cardinalfish (Epigonus lenimen)

Scientific name: Epigonus lenimen Whitley, 1935

The Big-eyed cardinalfish (Epigonus lenimen) is a marine fish of the family Epigonidae. Native range: Indo-West Pacific, south of Madagascar, Great Australian Bight, Tasmanian Sea, east of New Zealand.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9. Opercular spine present. Largest spine on all fins generally larger than the diameter of the eye. There are no contrasting pigmented black sections on the head.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Epigonus lenimen
Family: Epigonidae (Deepwater cardinalfishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 21.0
Depth range: 530–820 m (1739–2690 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 530 - 820 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: south of Madagascar, Great Australian Bight, Tasmanian Sea, east of New Zealand.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026